Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid



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“And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them." – Ezekiel 39:21

 

 Three words that people often times forget about when they think of the Lord: “smite”, “wrath” and “forsaken”.  Perhaps because we don’t want to think about that part of God’s character because it creates fear and requires that we actually try to abide by His guidelines.  There is references throughout the scriptures that God is Holy, Perfect and Righteous and at the same time Vengeful, Jealous and Omnipotent.  As such, as is demonstrated in Kings and Judges and throughout much of the Old Testament; He has very little tolerance for those that choose to refuse Him and the love He has offered to the world. 

  In the times before the Messiah came to the earth, mankind dealt with the realization that there was a God through the Prophets: Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Zephania, Zecharia and Malachi just to name a few.   They were intercessors and communicators from God to the children of Israel and Judah, delivering instructions on how to live within God’s plan, and what would happen if they did not.  Kings, Priests and Governments listened intently to their every word to better understand how to serve the one true God, or in some cases how to battle against His people.

  So, did God’s character change?  Is God still a God of wrath, judgment and vengeance?  The answer is unequivocally – Yes.  The book of Revelation was revealed to John, the beloved, while banished to the prison Isle of Patmos.  In this book Jesus Christ, Himself, reveals to John what will happen in the last days.  War, pestilence, suffering, death, destruction and inhumane acts from one upon another will envelope the earth and those that remain during the tribulation.  There is much discussion on whether that includes or does not include the believers and followers of Jesus Christ.  Many, including myself, believe we will be taken up before the tribulation, but there are just as many that believe we will all go through tribulation and then be drawn up.

  The reality is that the day is coming that God will unleash His wrath once again upon the earth’s inhabitants that have refused to accept His love and saving grace.  The time is coming when according to Ezekiel 38 and 39, we will see God, Himself, defend Israel in a manner of such magnificence that all mankind will know that it was God and nothing else.  As tensions mount in the Middle East, are we nearing the realization of a prophecy from 2700 years ago before our very eyes?  As we watch the unveiling of events in the high tension areas of the world, one must wonder if we aren’t drawing ever so near to the last days. 

  This then begs the question about your own salvation.  Should war break out in the Middle East, and God shows His wrath upon those that attack Israel, where do you stand in your belief and relationship with Jesus Christ?  Will it take the actual realization of this war to convince you that the Bible and all that is within is God’s own Truth revealed through man?  If you reference other prophecies from Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel or others, you will find the majority have already come to be.  Is that enough to convince you of His existence?  What is it that you are waiting for? 

  God’s wrath and judgment are very real and will bring bitter pain and suffering to those who refuse to follow Him.  The scriptures of war, destruction and vengeance in the Old Testament are all the proof you should need that mankind cannot withstand the wrath of God and I can only believe that come tribulation and ensuing judgment day will be greater than anything recorded in the scriptures of old.  You are right in fearing God, but you are also covered by the grace and love of Jesus Christ as your mediator and intercessor between you and God.  He has taken the wrath intended for you and I and carried it to the cross where He became the sacrifice for our iniquities.  Therefore, we will not receive the full wrath of God as we deserve, as those in the Old Testament did (reference the Midianites, those in Sodom and Gomorra, and the Philistines).  We experience the full love, grace and mercy of the Lord in our life, because we follow the One True Messiah – Jesus Christ.

             
© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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The Coming Flood

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." -Romans 13:12

As I listen to the news of the world recently, I struggle to find God in it. People are angry, afraid and worried about what their future holds.  The economy, the weather, the politics come up in nearly every conversation I have with people I meet as I travel. It’s easy to see a sense of apathy and to some degree helplessness wash over them as they think of the complexities of this world, and how small they feel next to it all.  But, I see little sense of urgency to help solve the problems we are living with in today’s society. This is caused by the sheer magnitude and global reach of every decision, which minimizes the impact of any single person. As a result we resort back to the things we can control - checking account, mortgage, education, food and our immediate family.

I want to share a word picture that has stuck with me over the years.
Imagine that you are in an indoor sports facility (domed baseball field) which might seat 50,000 people. Now imagine that you are taken to the very top row, right next to the glass roof and hand-cuffed to a chair. If someone were to drop a single drop of water into the center of the field, and then dropped a doubled amount every minute (1-2-4-8-16...) until the stadium were filled . How long would you have before you'd drown?

A few months? Maybe a few weeks? At least a few days, right? What if I said you would only have 49 minutes before you were overtaken by the pool of water. Even more surprising is at 44 minutes the stadium would only be 7% full. The sheer volume that overtakes a person happens in the last 5 minutes.

So, what does this have to do with God. For years you have heard corner preachers screaming, "Repent, His time is at hand" and yet we continue about our busy life. The bible is very clear, that Christ will come as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2) and we will not know when. Very much like the person chained to the top of the stadium, you know eventually the water will get here, but it doesn't seem obvious when there's only a few drops on the field. Now just imagine how much you can do for God's Kingdom if you shed off the apathetic, helpless garb earlier and put on the armour of God well before the waters closed in. If 90% (44 min) of the time has elapsed before you begin to worry, that last 10% (5 min) will happen like a flash in the night. There is much to do and the clock isn't slowing down. If you have a thought on how to spread God's word and help others, by all means take a stand now my friend, for the world is in need of a Savior and you have the answer.
© Sondove Enterprises, 2009
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Is It Today Lord?

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” – Mark 13:32

For centuries people have predicted the return of Jesus Christ.  Yet, if we are to take God’s word as truth, and absolute in that truth, than we must come to the conclusion that Mark 13:32 is truth.  This being the case, May 21, 2011 may or may not be the day of Christ’s return; just like today, tomorrow or Dec 12, 2012.  In Daniel 12:9, God seals up the prophetic scrolls until the time of the end.  So what is it that drives mankind to figure out God’s timing?  What causes us to need the answer to this question?

I propose it’s one of two things. 
   1) We are trying to control God to our convenience
   2) We are looking for the end to come quickly in order to avoid the troubles of today

By putting a firm date on the table, we are making a statement to the world – “Look how smart I am.  I have figured out the end of the world.”  This brings all the attention back to the person making the claims and away from the God we serve.  Secondly, There are over 6 billion people in this world.  Less than 40% claim to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and an even greater percentage than that would boldly claim that He is not the Son of God.  The salvation plan of the Lord is offered to ALL man-kind.  If indeed the world were to end this week, well over 60% of the inhabitants of the world would be “left behind”.  This is a far-cry from God’s plan of salvation.  Granted the word of the Lord has been communicated in countries far and wide and presented for acceptance in most areas of the world.  It is the choice of the individual to accept this message as truth or not, God is not going to force His hand.  But, let us keep in mind that there are still tribal nations in which the word has never been communicated.

The importance around the question, “When is Jesus coming back?”  isn’t to prove that the Bible is truthful and authentic, it is to ensure that God’s children are ready.  Because we do not know, regardless how scientific and mathematic the calculations are; we should assume it could be any day.  There are certainly evidence from the worldly news that would indicate that the end-times prophecies in Daniel, Isaiah and Zechariah are upon us.  This should only strengthen our resolve to focus on the truth and prepare the way for the Lord’s return. 

As a great song-writer once quoted at a concert, “I know vengeance is mine, doest sayeth the Lord, but I just want to be about the Lord’s business.” – Rich Mullins (1997)  I want to be about the Lord’s business in my life as well.  Doing the Lord’s business is why we were born.  Nothing else really matters.  You were conceived, you were formed by God’s hand, He breathed life into your soul when you were born and He has an intentional plan for you upon this earth.  When we struggle to find our purpose in life, it’s because we are focusing on our plans for our life and less on His plan.

We complicate our own life by focusing on worldly things and taking our eyes off of the One who created us.  When He returns, and He will return, what problem in life will you be working on solving?  The latest financial analysis, the stock market declines, the latest forecast numbers or project plan at work, …  I want to be about the Lord’s business when He returns, don’t you?
Think about it my friend and ask yourself where you’re heading in life, and if you really think arriving there will bring you closer to the Lord or not. 

In peace and love – Your Brother, Rich

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©Sondove Enterprises, 2011